Chapter 444: Demigod? Life Goddess!
In the Extreme North Land, the wind and snow gradually subsided.
After the Titan Snow Demon King sacrificed itself, the heavy pressure that had made the entire ice plain struggle to breathe finally seeped into Tang Chuan's body bit by bit.
In the center of the Ice Valley, Tang Chuan sat cross-legged. Behind him, the Snow Empress Martial Soul floated silently, with six Soul Rings revolving slowly around her. After an unknown amount of time, a low rumble suddenly echoed from within his body.
It sounded as if a barrier that had been locked for a long time had finally been broken.
The next moment, the Soul Power around his body surged violently.
Level 98 Peak.
Level 98 Limit.
Then, it crashed across the threshold.
Level 99! A terrifying aura, far exceeding that of an ordinary Titled Douluo, erupted from Tang Chuan's body, shooting straight into the clouds in three beams of light: the cyan-gold life force, the icy-blue Ultimate Ice power, and the blue-gold Sea God power.
The entire Extreme North Land trembled at this moment.
On the distant ice plain, countless Soul Beasts looked up in terror toward the direction of the Ice Valley.
They sensed an unprecedented aura; it was no longer just the Soul Power of a human Soul Master, nor was it the pressure of a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast, but a power that already stood at the Peak of Mortals and was approaching the boundary of the gods.
Demigod.
A true Demigod.
Tang Chuan slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his pupils, one side held the cyan-gold radiance of life, the other the icy-blue divine light of extreme cold, with a hint of the profound blue-gold from the Sea God Trident.
He raised his hand, and the Blue Silver Emperor swayed gently in his palm.
In his other hand, Ultimate Ice condensed into a crystalline snowflake.
Although the two powers were completely different, they achieved a strange balance within his body.
First Martial Soul, Blue Silver Emperor: Life, Resurgence, Purification, Fate, Ocean Control.
Second Spirit, Snow Empress: Extreme Cold, Sealing, Mountain, Protection, Strength Bearing.
At this moment, Tang Chuan truly stepped into the level 99 Limit Douluo Realm.
He was only one last God Position and set of God trials away from becoming a god at level 100.
In his sea of consciousness, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was so shocked it nearly rolled out of the white-gold mental mist.
"Level 99 already?"
"So fast?"
"I really didn't misjudge him back then!"
The Ice Empress snorted coldly:
"Besides sleeping and bragging, what else have you judged?"
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm immediately retorted:
"Bingbing, you don't understand. My vision is strategic-level. If I hadn't sacrificed myself, could Tang Chuan have such a stable sea of consciousness?"
Xiao Bai poked its head out from the side and asked curiously:
"What about me? Am I not very important too?"
The Ice Empress said indifferently:
"You provided defense and the ability to call 'Daddy'."
Xiao Bai was immediately unconvinced:
"Sister Ice Empress, my Embrace of the Ice Bear King is very powerful!"
The Snow Empress ignored their bickering and just looked at Tang Chuan's spiritual projection, saying softly:
"Level 99. From here on, you are getting closer and closer to becoming a god."
Tang Chuan nodded and said solemnly:
"Only two Soul Rings left."
The Snow Empress said:
"Once you complete them, the eighth trial of the Sea God should truly be finished."
Tang Chuan gripped the Sea God Trident, his eyes gradually becoming serious.
After Tang San disappeared, he had always felt a lingering sense of unease. Now that he had stepped into the level 99 Demigod realm, that unease had not only not disappeared but had become even clearer. It was as if on some continent he could not perceive in the distance, some Rakshasa Death Qi was regenerating.
After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice:
"Tang San won't stay quiet for long."
The Snow Empress said:
"So you must be faster than him."
Tang Chuan slowly stood up.
The wind and snow fell again, but automatically parted when they came within three feet of his body.
At this moment, he was no longer the level 98 Titled Douluo who had first entered the Extreme North Land.
He was a true level 99 Demigod.
Meanwhile, in the God Realm.
The Forest of Life.
This place was completely different from the bloody, solemn atmosphere of the Asura God's temple or the cold, evil nature of the Rakshasa God's temple.
In the Forest of Life, ancient trees towered into the sky, flowers and plants flourished, and clear streams flowed through the forest. Every leaf exuded a pure aura of life. Here, there seemed to be no death, no conflict, only eternal and gentle vitality.
The Life Goddess stood under an ancient divine tree and suddenly opened her eyes slowly.
Her gaze pierced through the layers of clouds in the God Realm and fell toward the direction of the Douluo Continent in the Lower Realm.
In her eyes, a cyan-gold beam of life force was rising from the Extreme North Land.
That life force was extremely pure, yet not purely gentle.
It fused the endless life of the Blue Silver Emperor, the healing of the Nine Heart Begonia, the collective life radiance of the Emerald Swan, the dragon life Origin of the Azure Bull Python, the ocean Origin of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, and the ice and snow bearing of the Extreme North Land.
This power, though not yet a god, had already begun to touch the rules of life.
A trace of surprise appeared in the Life Goddess's eyes.
"Blue Silver Emperor..."
"To think it could reach this step."
She raised her hand gently, and a blurred figure of Tang Chuan appeared in her palm.
White clothes, Blue Silver Emperor, Sea God Trident, Snow Empress Martial Soul.
The Life Goddess watched for a long time, and a hint of softness gradually appeared in her eyes.
"Not just a child inheriting the Sea God."
"His Dao of Life is already about to manifest his own Divinity."
She said in a low voice:
"If he is willing, in the future, he might not only be the Sea God."
Just then, from the other end of the God Realm, a cold Asura killing intent faintly drifted over.
The direction of the Rakshasa God's temple remained restless.
The Asura God was investigating the Rakshasa God's interference in the Lower Realm.
The Life Goddess frowned slightly.
"The Rakshasa inheritor is not dead."
"Yet the Child of Life is on the verge of becoming a god."
"It seems this generation in the Lower Realm is really going to have a major event."
She withdrew her gaze, but left a faint trace of attention on Tang Chuan.
It was not interference, but rather like a deity in charge of life taking a genuine interest in a Mortal who had developed the Dao of Life to the extreme.
...
Meanwhile.
On the other side of the distant ocean.
Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu.
Unlike the cities on the Douluo Continent that were established based on city walls, Soul Masters, and Sect deterrence, Mingdu was a massive Imperial Capital truly built by spirit tools.
Towering spirit tool towers reached into the clouds, their tips constantly flashing with pale blue radiance.
On the city walls, giant spirit tool cannons were arranged neatly, their pitch-black muzzles aimed at the distant horizon. On both sides of the streets, spirit tool lamps never went out day or night, spirit tool carriages shuttled back and forth, and small defensive spirit tool arrays even floated above the noble mansions.
The spirit tool civilization of the Sun Moon Empire was far more advanced than that of the Douluo Continent.
The Soul Masters here might not be stronger than those on the Douluo Continent, but their application of spirit tools had already permeated every aspect of war, life, nobility, and the military.
On this day, outside the Imperial Palace of Mingdu, a team from the Western Border slowly drove in.
At the very front was the black imperial carriage of the Third Prince, Prince Xu Jingyuan.
On both sides of the carriage followed dozens of spirit tool guards from the Western Border.
And in the very center of the team, a spirit tool prison cart covered by thick black cloth moved forward slowly.
Inside the prison cart, Tang San sat quietly.
His injuries had mostly recovered.
The high-level healing spirit tools of the Sun Moon Empire had indeed given him some help.
And what truly allowed him to restore his power were the death row prisoners, traitors, enemy spies, and a batch of high-level Soul Beast corpses that Prince Xu Jingyuan had secretly sent to him from unknown sources.
Those Souls and flesh and blood had all become nourishment for Tang San to repair the rakshasa altar.
Although Tang San had not yet recovered to his Peak, and was far from truly achieving the Rakshasa God position, he was no longer the dying mess he had been when he first fell to the Sun Moon Empire.
His Rakshasa Demonic Scythe was hidden in the shadows of the carriage.
A ghostly green light flickered slightly.
Tang San looked through the gap in the black cloth at this completely unfamiliar yet extremely prosperous Imperial Capital, a cold smile flashing in his eyes.
"spirit tools..."
"Very good."
"Much more useful than the Douluo Continent. If I can control this Empire and combine these spirit tools with my undead legion..."
His eyes became increasingly deep.
"Tang Chuan, Qian Renxue, Di Tian."
"Just wait."
"Next time I go back, I won't face you alone."
In front of the main gate of the Imperial Palace, Prince Xu Jingyuan had just gotten out of the carriage when he was blocked by a group of people.
Leading them were several gorgeously dressed princes: the First Prince, Xu Tianchen, whose Martial Soul talent was powerful, with several Titled Douluo-level royal retainers standing behind him.
The Second Prince, Xu Mingxuan, had extremely high talent as a spirit tool master, wearing a seventh-level spirit tool master badge on his chest, followed by a group of royal spirit tool masters.
There were also several other princes, princesses, and quite a few royal nobles.
They had obviously received the news long ago that Prince Xu Jingyuan had suddenly returned to Mingdu from the Western Border.
The First Prince, Xu Tianchen, was the first to sneer.
"Third brother, weren't you sent by the Emperor to the Western Border to supervise the construction of weaponry?"
"Without an imperial decree, who gave you permission to return to Mingdu privately?"
The Second Prince, Xu Mingxuan, also said indifferently:
"The Western Border weaponry testing grounds have had abnormal resource consumption for several months. I was just preparing to send someone to investigate, yet you've returned on your own."
His gaze swept over the team behind Prince Xu Jingyuan and finally landed on the prison cart covered by the black cloth.
"What is this?"
"What kind of unspeakable thing have you brought back?"
Prince Xu Jingyuan's expression was calm. If it were before, being questioned publicly by these brothers, he might have had to endure, explain, and find a way not to give them ammunition.
But now it was different.
He glanced at the prison cart behind him.
His confidence was inside it.
Seeing Prince Xu Jingyuan not speaking, the First Prince's expression darkened.
"Prince Xu Jingyuan, I am asking you a question. Are you deaf?"
Prince Xu Jingyuan said indifferently:
"I returned to Mingdu naturally because I have something to do."
The First Prince sneered:
"Something to do?"
"A piece of trash demoted to the Western Border dares to put on airs in front of the Imperial Palace?"
The Second Prince stared at the prison cart, his eyes slightly cold.
"Remove the black cloth."
Prince Xu Jingyuan said:
"Second brother, I advise you not to."
The Second Prince laughed.
"You are advising me?"
He waved his hand.
"Remove it."
A spirit tool master immediately stepped forward, a spirit tool blade in his hand lighting up, directly cutting the black cloth.
The black cloth fell.
It revealed the black-robed man in the prison cart.
Tang San slowly raised his head.
That pale, cold face appeared before everyone's eyes.
The First Prince frowned.
"Who is this?"
The Second Prince's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Doesn't look like someone from the Sun Moon Empire."
A royal retainer's expression suddenly changed slightly.
"The aura on this person is wrong."
Tang San slowly stood up. The prison cart was engraved with a large number of sealing spirit tool arrays that should have been able to suppress the Soul Power turbulence of Soul Masters below Titled Douluo.
But as Tang San stood up, those spirit tool array patterns extinguished one after another.
Ghostly green Rakshasa Death Qi spread from under his feet.
The First Prince's expression darkened.
"Prince Xu Jingyuan, you actually dared to bring a Soul Master of unknown Origin into the Imperial Palace?"
Prince Xu Jingyuan said indifferently:
"He is not a Soul Master of unknown Origin."
"He is my distinguished guest."
The Second Prince said coldly:
"Take him down."
As the words fell, several spirit tool guards raised their spirit tool cannons simultaneously.
Pale blue light condensed rapidly. At the same time, the Titled Douluo retainer behind the First Prince also stepped out, and nine Soul Rings rose instantly.
Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black.
Although the Soul Ring configuration was far inferior to the top powerhouses of the Douluo Continent, among the Sun Moon Empire's royal family, he was considered a rare Titled Douluo powerhouse.
The retainer said coldly:
"Kneel."
Tang San suddenly laughed.
The laughter was very light.
But it caused the surrounding temperature to drop instantly.
"Kneel?"
"Are you worthy?"
The next moment, the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe appeared in his hand.
Without any warning.
A ghostly green scythe light swept out.
The Titled Douluo retainer's expression changed drastically, and he immediately released his Martial Soul True Body, attempting to block it.
But the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe was a Divine Artifact.
Even if Tang San had not fully recovered, he was not someone an ordinary Titled Douluo could block.
The scythe light swept past.
The Martial Soul True Body was split in two.
The Titled Douluo's body froze in place, with disbelief still remaining in his eyes. A moment later, his Soul was actually forcibly extracted by the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe, letting out a shrill scream, and was swallowed into the scythe blade.
The whole scene was dead silent.
The First Prince's face turned pale instantly.
The Second Prince also subconsciously took half a step back.
"Eighth-level spirit tool shield!"
"Fire!"
Boom, boom, boom!
In front of the Imperial Palace, dozens of high-level spirit tool cannons lit up simultaneously.
Blue, red, and purple spirit tool beams bombarded Tang San from all directions.
These spirit tools were not weak, and if they hit him in a concentrated fire, even a Titled Douluo would be seriously injured.
But Tang San only raised the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe.
"Rakshasa Domain."
The purple-black Domain expanded instantly. After all the spirit tool beams entered the Domain, their speed slowed down significantly, their light was eroded by the Death Qi, and their power continuously decayed.
Tang San stepped out, his figure turned into black mist, and he disappeared from the spot instantly.
The next moment, he appeared behind a spirit tool master.
The Rakshasa Demonic Scythe hooked gently.
That spirit tool master didn't even have time to scream before his Soul was extracted.
Then came the second.
The third.
The fourth.
Tang San shuttled through the spirit tool cannon formation like a ghost. Those spirit tool masters had precision spirit tools, defensive shields, locking devices, and automatic attack arrays.
But the problem was, they couldn't catch Tang San at all.
Rakshasa Space flickered, the Death Domain eroded, and the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe reaped Souls.
These methods were completely beyond the understanding of the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool master system. An eighth-level spirit tool master roared as he activated the core array on his chest, releasing a layer of thick metal armor.
"Melee Lockdown Array!"
Dozens of spirit tool chains popped out from the ground, attempting to bind Tang San.
Tang San sneered.
"Playing with chains?"
With a wave of the Rakshasa Demonic Scythe, the ghostly green Death Qi turned into even more terrifying Soul chains, which instead entangled the spirit tool chains and flowed back up along the array patterns.
The eighth-level spirit tool master's expression changed greatly.
"Not good, the core is contaminated!"
Boom!
His spirit tool armor exploded on the spot.
Tang San grabbed his head and forcibly swallowed his Spiritual Power and Soul into his palm.
In just a short moment, the area in front of the Imperial Palace was littered with corpses.
The First Prince finally panicked.
"Prince Xu Jingyuan!"
"Are you crazy?"
"You actually dared to bring a monster into Mingdu!"
(End of chapter)